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Letters is an open forum for our readers. Letters should be original to Gambit Weekly and be no longer than 400 words. Letters might be edited for length and clarity. Write to Letters, c/o Gambit Weekly, 3923 Bienville St., NOLA, 70119; fax to (504) 483-3116, or send email to response@gambitweekly.com. Include a home address and daytime phone number.

No Clue About Jundal

In your recent endorsement of Bobby Jindal's
candidacy for governor (Commentary, Nov. 4), you claim that "he is honest, focused
and ready to hit the ground running. Equally important, we find him to be an independent
thinker." Although Jindal is an Ivy League-educated Rhodes Scholar, he has publicly
endorsed the teaching of "creationism" in public schools. Yeah, that Bobby is
quite the man of principle, all right. Despite his many years at two of the most
prestigious universities in the world, he has courageously resisted the temptation
to learn the difference between scientific truth and superstitious nonsense. Or
could it be that Bobby knows better, but has chosen to pander to the worst instincts
of the mob in order to get himself elected? It would seem that Bobby is not so
honest or not so smart.

While this hardly distinguishes him from other successful politicians,
in Louisiana or anywhere else, it certainly disqualifies him from being described
as "an independent thinker who is not afraid to differ with outgoing Gov. Mike
Foster." In fact, Bobby's style is strikingly reminiscent of Foster's -- remember
when Foster claimed to be implacably opposed to the expansion of gambling in
Louisiana?

Of course, unlike his mentor (or his opponent), Jindal has
never held elective office, so voters have no clue what kind of governor he
might make. Maybe he truly is, in your words, "a refreshingly engaging leader
who lives and breathes his core agenda." But can Louisiana, given its increasingly
desperate social and economic problems, afford to give this untried novice the
benefit of the doubt?

--Bruce D. Smith

Hand-picked By Foster

I was very disappointed to read your endorsement
of Bobby Jindal in the governor's race (Commentary, Nov. 4). Your given rationale
seems to be a gut feeling that Jindal will be better for the state's economy.
That's it. You cavalierly brush aside his anti-choice platform and don't even
mention his desire to include creationism in school curriculums, his statement
that he is "disturbed" that people think the Foster administration did not do
enough in the area of environmental enforcement, his attack on the judge who ruled
that state license plates endorsing a pro-life platform were unconstitutional,
and other public statements that show Jindal to be apparently courting the David
Duke voting bloc. And you also dismiss his links to the Foster administration
while simultaneously trying to distinguish between him and Foster. Do you really
think someone that is Foster's hand-picked candidate is going to rock the house
that Foster built? C'mon, guys.

Kathleen Blanco is certainly not my ideal candidate but neither
does she come off as an ideologue. Recently, she stated that medical marijuana
use should be researched more, while Jindal flat-out refused to consider such
an idea; this from our supposed "medical background" candidate. At least Blanco
seems to keep an open mind about such ideas.

Here's hoping people take your endorsement of Jindal the same
way they took your endorsement of Randy Ewing -- by ignoring it.

--Geoff Paterson

'Ignorance and Politics'

Thanks for publishing the article on our gubernatorial
candidates and their position on medical marijuana ("Pot and Politics," Nov. 4).
Having voted for Bobby Jindal, I was shocked to hear that he is opposed to legislation
protecting patients who find relief by using this natural medicine. The war against
medical marijuana isn't about protecting patients. It's about ignorance and politics.

The DEA would have Americans believe that medical marijuana
is a cruel hoax or myth. There are more than 60 cannabinoids found in marijuana.
There is no question that these cannabinoids have medicinal value. Why else
would pharmaceutical companies be scrambling to create synthetic versions of
them?

Smoking isn't the only way to ingest marijuana. Patients can
vaporize it, make tinctures, or use it in teas and food items. So the harmful
effects of smoking are no excuse for our government's actions. We are now getting
reports of studies from several nations, including our own, confirming the successful
use of cannabinoids to treat muscular sclerosis, epilepsy and other sicknesses.

Other nations are distributing cannabis and cannabis-based
medications via prescription to those who benefit from its use. In America,
we incarcerate those who try to alleviate their pain and suffering by using
cannabis. It's no coincidence that our brain is filled with cannabinoid receptors.
Humans were meant to use this natural medicine, and our government will one
day be held accountable for prosecuting sick and dying Americans.

--Scott Russ

Shrimp Farm Industry
Abroad

I am the associate for missions with the Presbytery
of Western North Carolina. I was forwarded your article ("Net Loss," Oct. 14)
by Kristina Peterson, who is a member of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
Team for the Presbyterian Church (USA).

I wanted to let you know that there is also a lot of suffering
for those abroad who live in communities to which the shrimp farm industry has
come. The Presbytery of Western North Carolina has a covenant relationship with
two small presbyteries in southwest Guatemala. One of the churches in Suchitepequez
Presbytery is located on the island of Tecojate. Tecojate has been a place where
the inhabitants make their living fishing. In the past few years, this source
of income has been reduced because the small family operations cannot compete
with big fishing companies.

But nothing has compared to the problems brought by the shrimp
farms that have moved in. The inhabitants of Tecojate were led to believe that
this industry would provide jobs for them. The reality has been that only one
person was hired from the local community (at least, the last we heard); the
rest were recruited from other parts of the country. We're guessing the reason
is that those from outside the community would not object to the environmental
degradation that has occurred, for it has been bad. Pollution of the lagoons
means, among many other things, there is almost no fishing left.